The Seward County Republican Party is proud to announce that four of its members have been selected to the GOP State Committee as state delegates and alternates. Jim Rice and John Trimmell were appointed to the state committee as voting members, while Gary Warden and Reid Petty were selected as state committee alternate members. The First District is allowed to appoint 37 regular members, and 37 alternates. All of those selected will meet twice a year with the first being during Kansas Days in Topeka in January. The state committee helps shape the agenda for the state GOP, and elects two national committee men or women to represent the GOP at the national level.

Seward County GOP Chairman Reid Petty said it was a good day for the local Republican Party.

“We were honored to have four selected to the state committee in some capacity. This is a very important underrated committee that helps shape what views the Kansas and National Republican Party follow, Petty said.

The appointments took place at the First Congressional District Convention on Saturday in Dodge City at the Dodge House Hotel Convention Center. The Seward County Republican Central Committee had two voting representatives at the meeting with Chairman Reid Petty and Vice-Chairwoman Sheral Wortman in attendance. Alternate Delegate Jim Rice was also there, along with former Chairman John Trimmell. There were 160 total people at the convention, including many state senators, representatives, and U.S. Congressman-Elect Tim Huelskamp, who was the keynote speaker at lunch.

Petty added that him along with the other Chairmen in the 38th District met before the convention to begin to set the guidelines and rules for the appointment of a new state senator, which will take place once Huelskamp resigns his state senate seat.

“When Senator Huelskamp resigns, the process of picking his replacement will go into full swing. There will be 14 days for all the counties in the 38th District to come together and hold a convention with the precinct committee members to appoint his replacement. We felt that it would be in everyone’s best interest to start to discuss rules and regulations for the appointment.”

Petty stated that there are some state guidelines to the appointment process, but that the chairmen of the counties get to set many of the rules. One of the rules discussed in Saturday’s meeting included how many proxy votes will be allowed.

“Despite my concerns, the chairmen decided on just two proxies. I was hoping for a few more since the committee members in Seward County will have to make a 90 minute drive to Dodge City during the holiday season, while everyone else will be much closer. But we’ll make it work. Liberal is use to getting the short end of the stick , rather it be on the location of sporting events or now politics. I’m confident this will motivate our precinct members to make the drive and make sure their vote is counted when the time comes. ”